2 The Deer Asleep, The Wolf Awoken

[11 hours before Edward woke up at the hospital.]

Inside a lush forest near Keplar Town, ten people were roaming through it, searching for something. They were led by a bearded man with a tattoo behind his head. On his feet was a corpse of a woman.

One of the subordinates approached him and said, "Klaue, we have gone too far, man. If the local police find out about this..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Klaue grabbed his collar and said, "Then let them f**cking come! Are we so weak that some dirty town securities make us afraid?"

The subordinate almost couldn't breathe from the collar, choking his neck. After Klaue released him, he apologized, "My bad, Klaue, but you know it's not what I meant. We are too close from their home, The Black Panther's."

Watching the terrified expression of his subordinate, Klaeu started laughing.

"What are you afraid of? We haven't done anything to them yet. The cat doesn't care about what happens outside their turf."

Klaue of course knew the consequences of what he did today and for the past 6 years. However, he wasn't afraid of the police or army. They were just a bunch of self-proclaimed heroes with guns, just that. It also had been 6 years since the last time they met the so-called Black Panther. Hell, he might have forgotten about him. Even now, after smuggling a bit of the vibranium the Panther still couldn't sniff his trace.

Today, he had a meeting with a client. It was a normal day, a couple from the U.S.A. looking for information, just like any other tourists. But what they were looking for was a trace of Wakanda's whereabouts.

Klaue looking at it as an opportunity wanted to use both of them for his own purposes. If he could use them as a decoy he might gained access back to the so-called great Nation. Better yet, if he could brainwash them, he might gained an enormous profit with a low risk.

The plan was perfect and almost foolproof, he would lead them outside the town to make a deal. If they refused, he could just kidnap and brainwashed them.

"F**k!! Thinking about it, it was your fault, Brad!"

Klaue recalled how the plan went awfully wrong on that noon. Brad, the one whose job was to trace the couple's identity back in the US only found that they were just office workers on vacation. He didn't found any archive or info about the man's other job. Because of that, Klaue lost 6 of his men in a road race. That man was smart enough to go down the road trying to delay and distract them from chasing the car. Luckily, there was a tracking device secretly planted on the car during their first meeting.

"Why me, man? How could I know he was a Secret Service agent? Blame Mithra, she's the one that found them the first time."

Mithra, a woman who was holding an AK-47 on her arm and machete on her waist snapped back at him. "You f**cking shameless b*stard, that was your f**cking job!"

"Shut the f**k up. I don't want to hear any sissy bickering anymore. Just find the kid and finish it. I want to take a bath. We can't leave any more trace behind us." yelled Klaue.

Just as Klaue decided to go back home, one of the subordinates that went ahead came back carrying a kid on his shoulder.

"Boss, I found the kid, what should we do?"

"Why are you asking me? Just kill him."

Hesitating, the man who was carrying him replied, "But boss, he... he's just a kid."

"And how is that has anything to do with me? Either you put the bullet into his skull or I put one into yours."

Looking at the almost finished job, Klaeu led his team to go back leaving the "executor" and the couple's son. Gulping, the man pulls a gun from the holster on his waist.

"I'm sorry, may you find peace in heaven."

Unbeknownst to him or anyone there, something answered his prayer.

[System on standby.] [User status: Unconscious - In Immediate danger]

[Initiate Auto-mode Privilage]

[Mission - Kill all enemies]

Suddenly the kid moved his right hand, pulling the Glock-17 out of his pocket. Nobody noticed that the gun in the kid's hand was aiming at the man's head.

Bang!

[9]

Caught unprepared, the man was shot on his head. Just when he was about to collapse "Edward" hold the man's body to slow his fall but failed. He hadn't adapted to the child's strength yet. Hearing a low thud, one of the guys, closer to them turned back to see the kid holding the man down. Surprised, he heard another gunshot before he himself too fell down on the cold ground.

[8]

Hearing another shot, the others including Klaeu was confused. One was enough to do deed. It wasn't like the kid would awaken like a zombie. They turned back only to see two bodies laid down, side by side. They didn't see the kid yet. Taking advantage of his small body, "Edward" hid under the body of the first man he killed, making Klaue's team thinking that they were face an invisible enemy.

"What the f**k? Into formation! We got company!"

"I told you, man. They found out! Damn it, I should have stayed behind to watch Oprah." mumbled Brad.

"Shut your damn mouth. Gilbert, did you see anything?"

Gilbert, a man who was holding another AK-47 looked around with a small torchlight on his head before answering, "Vision is unclear, boss. We must prepare to mo..."

*bang

[7]

Before he finished his word, Gilbert was shot right in the head. The scene was just too creepy, their enemy only needed one shot to finish one of them. Klaue, who was aware of the direction the shot came from, shot a few times toward it. The others not knowing what to do also aimed and shot in the same direction.

"All gather around and fall back! Follow me!" ordered Klaue.

They started walking backward while aiming at every corner of their vision with trembling fingers, eager to pull the trigger.

"There's only one enemy, don't be afraid" shouted Klaue.

Klaue could guess from the fire rate and how the enemy didn't show himself till now, that he was alone. Meanwhile, "Edward" was walking slowly among the lush trees holding a hunting knife he took from the first man's waist. With a knife in his left hand, the gun in his right "Edward" checked his own body condition.

[User's body condition - Mildly Injured]

Edward's ankle was sprained from falling earlier so he couldn't move faster than walking speed. Although his head was bleeding too, it already stopped a few minutes ago.

[Commencing Plan C - Assassinate]

After cutting a portion of his hoodie into an adult palm-sized bundle, Edward's body started merging with the dark forest. He and the group were almost walking at the same pace. However, while "Edward" didn't have any problem with his steps, it was different with Klaue's group.

The road was too dark and the only light source the group had only one flashlight on Klaue's hand. Three other flashlights were given to three of his subordinates, but they were already dead. Klaue knew that their enemy was a professional. Aiming for their vision at the very first sight.

"Edward" with his knife, approached a guy further to the left of the group. Timing it with the moment when Klaue moved his flashlight to the opposite side, he clogged the guy's mouth with a bundle of clothing he ripped beforehand and stabbed the neck with a knife and twisted it.

[6]

Hearing a low thud, Klaue turned back only to see a cold corpse limping on the ground.

"F**k!"

No other words could describe what he was feeling right now. The enemy was just too swift for them to handle. He started to increase his own walking pace. But, this decision was proved to be fatal for him because the others didn't know that he increased his pace much faster than them. The group started to spread a bit by bit, the moonlight shone on them as if it was trying to guide them to a safe place.

But with a brighter light, there will always be a darker shadow. Taking this chance, "Edward" begun his massacre. He started with Mithra the closest one. Because of his small body size, Mithra's viewpoint was higher than him. She could only see a small shadow flitting beside her, stuffing something into her mouth and then cut her throat. Blood started flowing with her inaudible voice trying to call for help before another stab aimed at the back of her head ending her suffering.

[5]

Holding the AK that was still strapped to mithra's body, Edward pulled the trigger, shooting at the others who were still alive.

*papapapapapapapapa

In 5 seconds, he emptied a full magazine clip then swapped his knife with the machete on Mithra's back. Meanwhile, three of Klaue's men fell down on the ground. Their body was mangled with holes and blood.

[4] [3] [2 left]

He walked, passing Brad that was screaming in pain while holding his shoulder and knee. The bullets although missing the vital area, still heavily maiming him. "Edward" kept walking and pulled the trigger on his Glock once he passed next to him.

*Bang

[1 left]

At this moment, Klaue was terrified when he saw his subordinates, sprawling on the ground, unmoving.

Since the first two shots that they heard till this moment, everything happened in less than 5 minutes. It was all too bizarre for him to process through his thick skull. Nine of his trusted men died in a blink of an eye.

Then he saw him. The kid that was supposed to die was walking slowly onto him. He was so close that he could see the kid's face. There was no expression on it. Anger flashed on Klaue's face, cursing at this bastard of a kid, he aimed... and then...

*slash...

His right forearm fell...

Although cutting an arm was hard for a normal kid, "Edward" wasn not hindered at all, as he had total control of the machete. He wanted to aim for the head but he couldn't reach or jump forward with a sprained leg.

Klaue's face turned cold, he was so scared witless, delaying the pain to reach his brain.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRGGHH F**K F**K F**K F**K F**K!!!!!"

The pain woke him from his dazed state and forced him to kneel. Just as, Edward tried to slash his head, Klaue tackled him, making Edward tumbling backward.

Not wasting his time, Klaue ran toward his car that was not too far from his position while holding his severed hand. A few shots were heard from behind him and he can feel the bullet's trajectory as it flew near him.

Lucky for him the Glock-17 on Edward's hand ran out of bullet. After grabbing Brad's gun near his feet, Edward was about to continue his bombardment but he realized that Klaue had already escaped with his car.

[Mission Clear - Clear rate 90%]

[Auto-mode switched to stand by]

[Initiate user's Reinforcement Program]

[Initiate user's Mercenary Program]